BBC Documentary 'The Railways'

[Tomnick]

I could be wrong, but I didn't think they scanned the crossing once the protecting signals had been cleared, so an obstruction could maintain the signal at Danger but not put it back in front of one?

 

[Bald Rick]

I could be wrong, but I didn't think they scanned the crossing once the protecting signals had been cleared, so an obstruction could maintain the signal at Danger but not put it back in front of one?

Correct. I posted the sequence somewhere on here a few months back.
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Had to laugh in episode 5 at the lazy police officer who had the cameras on level crossings only bothered about cars going through on red and not the pedestrians. I suppose much easier prosecutions.

Unfortunately, in this country we don't require pedestrians to wear number plates, so identifying them and sending them a notice of intended prosecution is a little more difficult than for motor vehicles.
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I wonder how many people are prosecuted for it? Perhaps the police just know it's a worthless battle and opt to just go after the easy prosecutions, where a car is photographed with the registration.

Eastfields LC (the one on the programme) was one of the first for this kit to be tried on, as it suffers persistent misuse and abuse as shown. I gather that in the first two weeks of the van being there, several hundred drivers were sent warnings or notices of intended prosecution. Then word got out in the locality, and miraculously everyone started behaving. Even better, the good behaviour lasted for several months even without the van there.

 

[SS4]

I'm sure someone mentioned in either the latest or an earlier programme that in France The Rail Lines are not fenced in and you trespass at your peril

Seems like a sensible attitude to take - the onus is on the offenders not the Rail Company / Track Maintainer.

Indeed it is a good idea, the only caveat I have would be the effect on any innocents involved; whether it's the driver that hits them, the crew that find the body or anyone else for that matter.

The Ebbw Vale section was a nice one to see though, passengers who understood and were genuinely please that the railway was there - perhaps you don't know what you have until it's gone after all?

 

[jimm]

I'm sure someone mentioned in either the latest or an earlier programme that in France The Rail Lines are not fenced in and you trespass at your peril

Seems like a sensible attitude to take - the onus is on the offenders not the Rail Company / Track Maintainer.

Use of fencing in France depends on where the line is and what type of trains use it. Lines through towns and cities tend to be fenced, for obvious reasons, and Lignes a Grande Vitesse are all fenced to keep wildlife out as much as much as humans. You don't really want a TGV running into a wild boar...

The key difference between the UK and many other countries is that fencing is a legal requirement here, whereas elsewhere railways can use their discretion - though I think full lineside fences are also a legal requirement in Ireland, due to it being part of the UK at the time the railways were being built.

 

[Oswyntail]

...
The key difference between the UK and many other countries is that fencing is a legal requirement here, whereas elsewhere railways can use their discretion ....

I think the key historical difference is that in continental countries more used to absolutist monarchies (ie most of them) you may not do anything unless you are given permission. In the UK, where there is the tradition of the yeomanry and the constitutional monarch, you may do anything that is not expressedly forbidden. Hence you have to stop people from going on the tracks.

 

[FGW_DID]

Watching the latest episode, I had to do a double take when I saw this character (see attached photo), the ATW instructor, who when asked about Air Con opened and closed the sliding window. He looks and sounds just like an old colleague of mine from the RAF, if anybody works with him or knows him, I would appreciate it if you could please drop me a PM. It would be great to confirm it is him and to get back in touch

 

[jimm]

I think the key historical difference is that in continental countries more used to absolutist monarchies (ie most of them) you may not do anything unless you are given permission. In the UK, where there is the tradition of the yeomanry and the constitutional monarch, you may do anything that is not expressedly forbidden. Hence you have to stop people from going on the tracks.

I think it's just that someone here thought fencing was a good idea - and after what happened to William Huskisson, MP for Liverpool, at Rainhill on the opening day of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830, his fellow Parliamentarians got a very early lesson in what could happen if people got on the tracks in the way of a train... though I suspect that stopping valuable livestock straying on to railways and getting mown down was the key consideration in Victorian times.

 

[Requeststop]

I think the key historical difference is that in continental countries more used to absolutist monarchies (ie most of them) you may not do anything unless you are given permission. In the UK, where there is the tradition of the yeomanry and the constitutional monarch, you may do anything that is not expressedly forbidden. Hence you have to stop people from going on the tracks.

Yeah but we Brits haven't had revolutions that ended up with the "terror" where we ended up chopping off the heads of all and sundry we didn't approve of, or massacaring the Royals and throwing their bodies down a mine shaft, or participating in the genocide of anyone whose religion or political beliefs we disapproved and just chucking the people in gulags for the fun of it or starving our citizens to death with deliberate famines. We went around the world building railways so we could plunder the wealth of nations.

Have to say that I have enjoyed this series very much. Is there another programme to come? Anything on the struggle of rural railways or are we just focused on the larger cities in this series?

 

[Zoidberg]

...

... Is there another programme to come? Anything on the struggle of rural railways or are we just focused on the larger cities in this series?

The last episode in the series of six is broadcast next Tuesday at 2100.

From http://www.freeview.co.uk/TV-Guide# here is a description of what's covered in the programme:

Documentary series which goes behind the scenes of the rail network, revealing the inner workings of one of Britain's biggest and oldest institutions. Keeping trains running on Scotland's rail network is a huge challenge as it passes through some of the UK's busiest urban commuter routes and stretches on through frozen highland mountains. With winter looming large, the country's train, station and engineering staff are entering their toughest season. When overhead power lines are ripped down by a freight train, it spells chaos. Yet even without engineering problems, this is a network under constant strain, particularly at Edinburgh's Waverly station. Yet what really makes Scotland stand-out from the rest of the UK are its vast and remote wilderness railways, such as the West Highland Line. Here, rail engineer Iain MacKinnon spends his days inspecting miles of mountain track on foot, clearing dead stags from the line and tightening every loose bolt that he finds

 

[Crossover]

You didn't hear last weeks Pendolino pulling out with a diesel engine then? Sounded like a Sprinter!

Or the one coming into Manchester sounding unmistakably like a Class 350...jumping the gun there a bit, I think :P

Thought the atw cleaners came across much better in this ep than the kings x one.

I agree. I did comment to my family who I was watching it with that they seemed to have more pride in the work than their Kings Cross counterparts.

I would assume so, with the Kings Cross shots still using the old concourse! Assuming they were all filmed around the same time...

It really was a mixed bag, as some showed the old concourse and then there were some on the new concourse

Someone once described an Orange march as a bit like a jumble sale on the move. Bet if you asked most of them what they were supposed to be commemorating they could not tell you.

It was mentioned by one of the staff on Merseyrail in a similar manner...essentially it just an excuse for a huge pi55 up :P

I loved the "Blimey, I bet there's nobody watching Jeremy Kyle today" comment on Southport station when they were all being herded to the Orange parades.

I may be mistaken, but I'm sure the quote was more on the lines of him having no-one to interview because they were all there...fab quote either way though!

I'm on the 1255 MAN-EUS (VT). TM has just announced "for any fans of The Railway, driver Ross [from episode 4] is in coach G if anyone wants any autographs"

You'll be making some of the members here jealous :P

some eye candy though, nice Mersey girl on gateline & a gorgeous welsh girl being trained up

Is that the Merseyrail girl who got kissed by one of the punters, and immediately went for the hand gel?

Definitely safer if locals thought a local man would simply wait to let them cross or would always stop the trains if they crossed dangerously!

I was wondering this, but one of the other posters has effectively answered my question, in that it would be a crossing with a protecting signal, so whilst stupid to cross at that time, I don't believe they'd be in any danger (may slow down the train though)

I did think some of the people in Stevenson, where NIMBYS moaning about the fencing and stuff. Really???

I was thinking that really, NR wouldn't give two hoots about residents moaning that a fence had obscured a view a little bit...hardly top priority! Even the no trespassing sign was complained about because it was in the way :roll:

That said, I didn't think the NR representative overly justified the change either. Can't recall exactly what was said, but I do recall thinking he was spouting standard rubbish at times.

Watching the latest episode, I had to do a double take when I saw this character (see attached photo), the ATW instructor, who when asked about Air Con opened and closed the sliding window. He looks and sounds just like an old colleague of mine from the RAF, if anybody works with him or knows him, I would appreciate it if you could please drop me a PM. It would be great to confirm it is him and to get back in touch

Another classic quote! Who knew Pacer's had air conditioning! Must remember that one :P

Another great one was when the Pacer (being a Pacer) was stuffed, and after disappearing, all you hear is a load of expletives about how the whole thing is f***ed again!

 

[Starmill]

Or the one coming into Manchester sounding unmistakably like a Class 350...jumping the gun there a bit, I think :P

Yep! I heard that and all! A very errant sound to be echoing throughout Pic, but hopefully one that will do one day!

 

[rebmcr]

Or the one coming into Manchester sounding unmistakably like a Class 350...jumping the gun there a bit, I think :P

I had it pegged as a 323 — similar-sounding but a slower pattern. Also more likely to have been on that day's footage in the editing room.

 

[Starmill]

I had it pegged as a 323 — similar-sounding but a slower pattern. Also more likely to have been on that day's footage in the editing room.

I might be misunderstanding you... but it certainly was not a 323! They must be about as distinctive as we get in t' UK! Also, you can enjoy the noise while you're on them Much more difficult on a 350.

 

[bnm]

Had to laugh in episode 5 at the lazy police officer who had the cameras on level crossings only bothered about cars going through on red and not the pedestrians. I suppose much easier prosecutions.

That self same crossing in Mitcham has seen pedestrians at least spoken to by Police/PCSOs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfnPb80v6PM forward to 4:10

I don't think it's being lazy or because it's much easier to prosecute motorists. The level of risk and danger is far higher if a vehicle user disobeys the law at a level crossing.

 

[Crossover]

I had it pegged as a 323 — similar-sounding but a slower pattern. Also more likely to have been on that day's footage in the editing room.

Listen to it again here (I have managed to link to a point a few seconds before it)

Compare to this (oldish...still in debranded livery!) Class 350 stopping at a station. Can almost guarantee it isn't a 323

 

[Starmill]

Listen to it again here (I have managed to link to a point a few seconds before it)

Compare to this (oldish...still in debranded livery!) Class 350 stopping at a station. Can almost guarantee it isn't a 323

Ay - compare that to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuXWzBxzwrQ - still in FNW livery! It's definetly a 350. It's soooo out of place it grates!

 

[pinguini]

I don't know my different classes but even I recognised "that sound is the London Midland one and not the Virgin one"

 

[Markos72]

bit disappointed by this episode. felt they just mashed any remaining footage they had into a ram-shackled episode. 1 min of the wales trackside robbery, welsh staff training, revenue and gateline in Merseyside, midlands trackSide looking for an urn, some awful busybodies in that village with nothing better to do than moan...AT ANYTHING & then kings cross again.

I thought the Merseyrail staff were a credit to the company though.

some eye candy though, nice Mersey girl on gateline & a gorgeous welsh girl being trained up

Can't wait for the Scotland episode, if it's based in the Glasgow area promises to be great viewing

Believe it concentrates on Waverley,we were told that camera crews were maybe gonna show up in the MDU in Springburn,but they never did.Had my nice clean overalls all ready too
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RAdio Detection And Ranging think the piece of kit that allows air traffic controllers to know where planes are in the sky.

More usefully for us it's being deployed at level crossings to provide object detection capabilities. Mostly at automatic half barrier crossings were there is no signaller supervision as the crossing is triggered by the approach of trains.

Have heard thru the grapevine that RADAR has been pulled.

 

[jon0844]

Can it still be used to access disabled toilets though?!

 

[Starmill]

Just watched the scene with the 'stolen tickets' again... why on earth did the TM announce change at Crewe for N Wales and Lime St? For the benefit of a handful of rather confused passengers from Wilmslow?

Also loving the fact that they tried to edit it like it was all the same journey... even though the TM said he was calling only at Stockpot at the beginning? Uuugh.

 

[rebmcr]

Just watched the scene with the 'stolen tickets' again... why on earth did the TM announce change at Crewe for N Wales and Lime St? For the benefit of a handful of rather confused passengers from Wilmslow?

Also loving the fact that they tried to edit it like it was all the same journey... even though the TM said he was calling only at Stockpot at the beginning? Uuugh.

Well if you apply your second part to the first, why assume it was still southbound?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Just watched the scene with the 'stolen tickets' again... why on earth did the TM announce change at Crewe for N Wales and Lime St? For the benefit of a handful of rather confused passengers from Wilmslow?....

Some journey planners have been known to route journeys from Manchester to North Wales via Crewe. Never known it for Liverpool mind but it could be for those from Wilmslow.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Also loving the fact that they tried to edit it like it was all the same journey... even though the TM said he was calling only at Stockpot at the beginning? Uuugh.

Would it have also called at Fish Kettle and Steamer...

 

[Paul180]

Can it still be used to access disabled toilets though?!

LoL

 

[hughesfowler]

Well if you apply your second part to the first, why assume it was still southbound?

From memory the tm says next stop Stockport and then straight to London.

 

[Harbon 1]

Listen to it again here (I have managed to link to a point a few seconds before it)

Compare to this (oldish...still in debranded livery!) Class 350 stopping at a station. Can almost guarantee it isn't a 323

It's most likely in the background of the shot taken because it sounds like its slowing down, then the shot afterwards is mixed into it

 

[Mojo]

It's most likely in the background of the shot taken because it sounds like its slowing down, then the shot afterwards is mixed into it

Isn't the train arriving at Manchester Pic though; Class 350s don't go there?

 

[Harbon 1]

Isn't the train arriving at Manchester Pic though; Class 350s don't go there?

Ah, good point

 

[rebmcr]

From memory the tm says next stop Stockport and then straight to London.

The point is that we don't know whether that was the same journey as the fare-dodge.

 

[Wyvern]

Believe it concentrates on Waverley,we were told that camera crews were maybe gonna show up in the MDU in Springburn,but they never did.Had my nice clean overalls all ready too

Not going to be filmed then with your mucky bare feet up on a table?